How Todd Akin could still get out

Rep. Todd Akin missed the easy deadline to drop out of Missouri’s Senate race after his “legitimate rape” comments. But it’s not too late to change his mind. He’d have to clear some legal hurdles and possibly pony up some money, but if Akin is willing to sweat a little, he could still get out in time to make way for a replacement.

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POLITICO Live on Akin, Romney

The first and probably easiest step would be for Akin to persuade a judge to allow him to withdraw. That shouldn’t be a problem: Missouri law says such court orders “shall be freely given” unless Missouri’s secretary of state, or any of the state’s other election authorities, intervenes with a good reason. An official in that office said the secretary of state has never objected before to such a request before — in fact, a court order was granted in April for a statehouse candidate to withdraw from the August primary.

Ultimately the decision is in the court’s hands, but the closer Akin gets to critical deadlines the more likely it is that a county clerk or election board could raise an objection to his withdrawal. Individual candidates cannot object to a court order.

Technically, the latest Akin could secure the order is Sept. 25. But realistically, he would have to get the ball rolling a lot sooner, probably by mid-September at the latest. That’s because Missouri requires candidates who withdraw to pay the tab for reprinting ballots that already have hit the presses. So the longer he waits, the higher those costs would be.

Akin could get away with paying only court fees if he drops out before all candidates — from the presidential race on down — are certified to appear on the ballot. The earliest that could happen is Sept. 6, after the Democratic National Convention. At that point, the secretary of state would certify all of the results and every county would be free to start printing ballots.

Each of Missouri’s 114 counties prints its own ballots, and they have until Sept. 25 to do so. So if Akin drops out on, say, Sept. 15 he’d have to reimburse whatever counties have already printed ballots.

Several Missouri county officials said they planned to hold off printing ballots as long as possible — until at least mid-month — to see what Akin does.

Another key deadline is Sept. 21. Election officials must send military ballots by Sept. 22, and if Akin hasn’t dropped by that point, his name will remain on those ballots no matter what.

The second part of the equation is naming a replacement. If that evokes images of party bosses in a smoke-filled room, that’s not too far off base. In fact, the decision on whom to run in Akin’s stead would be up to the 68 members of the Missouri State Republican Committee.

There are two committee members for each of the 34 state Senate districts — a man and a woman for each area. Any candidate wishing to run would come before the 68 deciders and make their case.

Sad to say Todd Akin is the Congressman in my district who represents my district (but surely not me). How he's remained in office over the years...often running unopposed...is a reflection of the country club Republicans who live along Clayton Road in Town and Country, Missouri where he lives.

I have long said anybody with a brain could challenge him. You won't have to look hard to find crusty, outdated policies that are bought and paid for by old farts like him and the people who have paid his way into office over the years.

Todd Akin represents the paternalistic, flat earth breed of Republicans that simply use him to achieve their ends. Nobody protects the 1% better than Todd Akin. Moreover, he lacks courage to reach out beyond the boundaries of his home district and examine the damage that GOP policies have caused not only America, but the world as a whole. He is indeed a stooge for the 1%.

His views on health care are just as twisted and perverse as those on abortion. In his view "tycoons" created our health care system and should be the sole source of who, what, how and why somebody gets medical treatment.

Citizens of Missouri: Pull the release lever on Todd Akin and send him down the poop chute.

I don't think he wants out. He has a chance to turn this thing around in the tradition of Give'em Hell Harry Truman. I figure he figures he'll never get the chance he has today to succeed in politics and to bow out now he will be remembered only for the stain on his reputation. Plus he's said he's not going to drop out of the campaign come hell or high water and if he does now he'll look like another flip-flopper failed politician. Remember McGovern's being 1,000 percent behind Eagleton, then a short time later dropping Eagleton from the ticket. McGovern would have lost anyway, but the flip-flop probably cost him some votes and it's what he's remembered for. Same with Bush's "no new taxes. read my lips." Sterling Greenwood/Aspen

This man is clearly not capable of holding this or any other office, I found the comment he made quite disturbing not only was it out bounds but in so many ways "Out of Touch" he claims he "mis-spoke" if you go back and watch the jaco report where he made these statements he was not mixing word he spoke quite clearly and without hesitation, I have sent two emails to his office asking him "Please do not run" the entire nature of what was said and how he said it in context to the question was just incredible

Sorry, Akin has got to go. His comments were uncalled for, and do NOT accurately represent the views of the Republican party. This guy is a kook. Sarah Steelman should have won the primary in the first place.

Sorry, Akin has got to go. His comments were uncalled for, and do NOT accurately represent the views of the Republican party. This guy is a kook. Sarah Steelman should have won the primary in the first place.

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Have you ever heard of the word "democracy"? Sarah Steelman lost the election. "Should have" has nothing to do with it.

GOP is so big on the constitution until it gets in their way of getting what they want. Hating democracy is a bit over the top, even for the GOP

The Dems realizing that Missouri was gone if a solid conservative R candidate was to run against McCaskill reached into their bag of dirty tricks and supported Akin in the R primary with money, advertising and encouraging Dems to vote for him as Missouri has an open primary process. They got their man ... the least effective of the R candidates ... then using their willing accomplices in the MSM, knowing Akin was pro life in all circumstances they fed him a question and with his limited awareness of the gotcha nature of the Dem leaning press he spouted an answer that is common in conversations among those with total in any circumstance views .... so dumb because the simple answer to the question is that the baby is never wrong and deserves life regardless of how it is conceived .... So the Dems so far have got everything they sought .... a bumbling candidate as an opponent in Missouri, more "evidence" of Republican war against women Vs focus on Dems economic record and failed policies of larger government and changing the nature of American society to a big government loss of liberty failed model. The response must be if Akin does not bow out to run a 3rd party conservative candidate (best if it's a woman) and focus laser-like on economic issues, pro-growth with lower taxes, removing regulatory burdens and enabling the engine of freedom and enterprise to respond and lift all boats The Democratic Party will stoop to anything to retain power ... it's time to stand up in Missouri and throw McCaskill out along with the underhand and cynical Democratic machine and playbook

Akin made a huge gaffe. How about Joe Biden and his plagiarizing a speech from the British Parliament in 1987, or Clinton arguing over is versus are ? Romney has had his moments also. Corporations are people. Remember ? Only accountants and lawyers would appreciate that.

Gore strongly implied that he invented the internet. Check the video.

Akin will have to be realistic. A late poll shows him behind by 10 percentage points in the state wide race. This was after a very tight spread of one percentage point before the gaffe.

He will need to get focus groups and weigh their reaction, not the national party.

So fellow Republicans, maybe we need to take a breather on this. What is the real story ?

There is no way in the world that abortion will be made illegal. Even most pro life people realize that this tactic would not work. Adoption reform makes much more sense. This could make adoption as convenient as abortion.

Akin's " sin " is that he ran afoul of the abortion establishment. His electronic stoning demonstrates this.

Finally some movement from what has basically been a status quo election or polling in predicting results. First in the presidential, Conn moved from likely Obama to lean Obama and in Montana, it went from lean Romney to Likely Romney.

But in the senate races, much more movement. CONN went from lean Democrat to toss up, Florida from toss up to lean Democrat, Missouri from toss up to lean democrat, Ohio from lean Democrat to toss up and finally Nevada from toss up to lean Republican.

All of this makes sense to me, but what is happening in CONN? CONN's movements towards Romeny and McMahon bewilders me. Lean Obama means the race is competitive in CONN athough the Democratic Party has an advantage. Stranger is McMahon being relitive even with Murphy. If the GOP picks up CONN, MO. means a whole lot less to the republicans. Time to put CONN on the watch list.

Franken: “And, ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.’ Or, ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’”

Franken: “And, ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.’ Or, ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’”

on the TV show Saturday Night Live. He famously joked about raping CBS reporter Lesley Stahl.

Franken: “And, ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.’ Or, ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’”